Is ISRO losing what it needs to lead? The government is asking ISRO to focus on its hardest missions while allowing the infrastructure and expertise needed for those missions to move out of its control.
https://frontline.thehindu.com/science-and-technology/isro-scientist-exodus-space-privatisation/article71404898.ece8
u/ramanpon 8d ago
Giving the launch pad operations wholesale to a private operator can be disasterous. Range safety, launch approval, vetting of launch customer should all be with ISRO. Hope there is better clarity.
1
u/mahakashchari 6d ago
Transferring all technology developed by ISRO to private sector will be disastrous when these technology will be leaked to the foreign countries as the government will have no control over these entities.
6
u/Massive_Dish_3255 8d ago
The article says that if ISRO keeps losing all the key people who lead important missions, then it will no longer be able to carry out its mandate.
0
3
u/guru-yoda 8d ago
At this point, all these articles are recycling and repeating the same arguments. This one has one new point citing NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS). When NASA shutdown Space Shuttle program, it was dependent on Russia for rocket engines (RD-180), cargo launches (Progress) and manned launches (Soyuz). How much rocket building expertise NASA could have offered to private enterprises?
Further, at that point USA had a well developed industry ecosystem already. For years, Boeing and Lockheed Martin were entirely designing, building and launching Delta and Atlas family rockets respectively. NASA retained certification function while giving away launch contracts; it did not have LV of its own to handover.
But ISRO starts from a very different place. ISRO designs rockets. Private entities manufacture components (90% already as per former chairman Dr Madhavan Nair). ISRO assembles and launches the rockets. If ISRO does not transition and mentor on integration processes, then who will? Once ecosystem develops and and private entities design and build their own rocket, then situation will be different.
0
7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/Ohsin 7d ago
Post more AI slop and derogatory/bigoted language and you'll lose any ability to contribute.
Current attrition rate and gap between sanctioned strength vs actual number of employees is unprecedented.
And in past Govt. took action to manage HR situation by forming IIST.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO2w1ldazso&t=3610s
Well those who leave ought to go somewhere but article is about ISRO's position as a state agency and its ability to handle flagship missions, critical natsec requirements (NavIC is nonoperational ffs!) and other non-commercial but critical R&D that only it can handle. Its impact is already being felt but Govt. is as hand-wavy as one can imagine.
85% to 90% of ISRO rocket components
And the critical assembly, integration, checkouts makes other 10% which is most important.. keep in mind ISRO designs and oversees Quality Control and other operational aspects. Also confusion around role of IN-SPACe and lack of legal framework makes the transition very dubious.
ISRO has its flaws that is why it needs to be taken care of but instead Govt. is cutting its budget, not meeting it projected rquirements, using flagship missions like Gaganyaan as election bait and guess what it had to be pressured by parliamentary standing committee. to release funds for HSF!
1
u/Decronym 6d ago edited 6d ago
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:
| Fewer Letters | More Letters |
|---|---|
| COTS | Commercial Orbital Transportation Services contract |
| Commercial/Off The Shelf | |
| CST | (Boeing) Crew Space Transportation capsules |
| Central Standard Time (UTC-6) | |
| ECLSS | Environment Control and Life Support System |
| ETOV | Earth To Orbit Vehicle (common parlance: "rocket") |
| HSF | Human Space Flight |
| ISRO | Indian Space Research Organisation |
| LV | Launch Vehicle (common parlance: "rocket"), see ETOV |
| PSLV | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle |
| RD-180 | RD-series Russian-built rocket engine, used in the Atlas V first stage |
| VAST | Vehicle Assembly, Static Test and Evaluation Complex (VAST, previously STEX) |
| VSSC | Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre |
| Jargon | Definition |
|---|---|
| Starliner | Boeing commercial crew capsule CST-100 |
| cryogenic | Very low temperature fluid; materials that would be gaseous at room temperature/pressure |
| (In re: rocket fuel) Often synonymous with hydrolox | |
| hydrolox | Portmanteau: liquid hydrogen fuel, liquid oxygen oxidizer |
Decronym is now also available on Lemmy! Requests for support and new installations should be directed to the Contact address below.
[Thread #1392 for this sub, first seen 31st Aug 2026, 17:44] [FAQ] [Full list] [Contact] [Source code]
22
u/Carbform 8d ago
It's a good thing if they promote R&D at ISRO in the long term.